Where Are You Naruto?
by N.V.9
Summary: It's by chance Sasuke meets up with old friends, it's by his choice that he decides to team up with them to find their lost blonde teammate.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

It must have been fate that brought him here. What else would it be? There was just no other explanation on to why he was here. What were the chances that of all the places they'd be, he'd run into them there? What was the chances that he'd choose to be here today the same day as they chose it. Fate, it was such an odd thing.

Sasuke almost snorted. Look at him going on and on like Neji. He couldn't even stand the teen. Couldn't stand any of them and yet here he was just watching them all as they glared at him. How odd...

Behind him he felt Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu shift behind him. In front he saw Konoha 11 move in front of him but they were missing one member and who was that other one in his place? Where was Naruto?

"Where is he!" Sakura demanded from the otherside of the slowly moving river. All around them the trees seem to freeze as if waiting for an answer that he was supposed to give. "Tell me where he is!"

Sasuke watched her blankly trying to figure out what she was talking about. She had always been annoying. Maybe this was another way for them to try and get him back. But why ask where he was if he stood in front of them? Behind her the others moved as if they held themselves back from attacking. Each and every one of them looked ready to kill. Even on the ex-comrads, those that didn't have a lick of hate in them, looked beyond ready to kill...him?

"Where is he!" Sakura screamed taking a step forward. Her hands clenching and unclenching, her chest heaving in agitation.

"Where is who?" Suigetsu asked boredly moving to stand beside Sasuke, curious as to what and who they wanted. "How can we tell you if we don't know who you're talking about?"

"Where is Naruto?" Shikamaru asked in a cold mencing voice, so unlike his lazy way of speaking.

Sasuke blinked at this. They lost Naruto? Not even his own teammates knew where he was? What kind of village lost someone as important as Naru-no, don't go there, he told himself. "What do you mean?" he asked with narrowed eyes, looking around as if it were a joke. Was Naruto planning on surprising him by jumping out of nowhere? Idiot move.

"Don't play stupid Uchiha!" Kiba growled moving to an attack position. "He came after you by himself and he disappeared. What did you do with him!"

"I didn't do anything." Sasuke said feeling a slight pain in his chest. Naruto was gone? Why should he care, he left the idiot to get stronger. He meant nothing to Sasuke. Who cared if Naruto was gone... Why was his chest still hurting?

"Don't lie to us!" Hinata cried actavating her Byakugan along with Neji. "Please give him back to us."

"I can't give you back what I don't have, idiot." Sasuke stated watching the others preparing to attack. Behind him he felt his own people doing the same thing. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Naruto was gone? Missing? Dead-no, not dead. He wasn't dead...

"Then prepare to die with that lie on your lips." Tenten stated opening her scroll.

Before anyone could move a blur came out of no where and landed on the water. The water that was now gone and replaced by dry earth, that no one seemed to notice at first as they gazed at the orange and black clad figure kneeling between them.

He knew Naruto was...wait, what? Sasuke frowned trying to piece together what he was seeing.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried in shock. "Where have you been you idiot! We've been- Naruto what's wrong?"

Sasuke watched as Naruto stood slowly and took a step only to fall to his knees. He watched as Naruto grimanced in pain and turn to his left leg. Why was he bleeding? Was someone coming? And why didn't he see or hear the battle?

"That's not Naruto." Neji said shocked, comfirming Sasuke's own thoughts. "He has no Chakra running through his body."

"There's no scent of blood either." Kiba added moving closer. "Naruto..."

Sasuke ignored them as he kept his eyes on Naruto. He watched Naruto tear the rest of his jacket into strips and wrap it around his leg. Where was his bandages? His weapons? Where was the noise of the battle?

"What's going on?" Ino asked quietly, her hand clutched onto Shikamaru's arm.

No one answered her as their eyes watched Naruto's face turn the way he came. Watched his body stiffen as horror, shock, and fear filled his face. Expressions Sasuke had never seen on Naruto's face. Naruto never showed fear to anyone. Standing up quickly Naruto tried to run only to fall down again, his leg unable to hold him up properly. Out of nowhere a dark shimmery form attacked, making all the other Shinobis jump back in a battle stance, waiting for a strike that never came.

To Sasuke, the thing that appeared moments ago looked almost like what the Nara's could do but it wasn't. This felt truly evil. The hooks at the end of each tentical made it terrifiying. Made it almost impossible to breathe.

Naruto jumped to the right and used one hand to flip himself over, avoiding the attacks as they came. As he dodged, Sasuke noticed he used only his good leg and arms to prop himself this way or that.

No one saw who was attacking though, all they could see where the tenticals. Sasuke activated his Sharigan and still couldn't see anything.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled trying to break free of Kiba's and Choji's hold. "Let go I have to help him!"

"It's not real." Hinata said in a shocked voice.

Naruto kept avoiding the attacks as he tried to escape. Exhaustion was cleary written all over his body but the fear was keeping him going, pushing him to run. Jumping to the left he created two clones and once they ran at the attacker he turned and jumped toward the trees. The dark form quickly dispelled the clones and went straight for Naruto. One hook latched on to the wound Naruto had on his left leg and with a jerk, Naruto went crashing to the floor. His forehead protector went flying off toward the trees close to Sasuke.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled breaking free and running to the center of the river. Sasuke watched as Sakura tried to grab Naruto's still form only to go through him completely. What was going on? Was this so form of genjutsu? No because he would have seen it.

When Sakura skidded to his side she sat there frozen. No one moved as they watched Naruto. His stiff body slowly being dragged backward. No one moved when the Kyuubi took over and roared as it slowly began gaining tails, trying to escape. Sasuke would never have thought that he would see such fear on one of the tailed beast. Kyuubi was the ost feared demon ever. He watched as Kyuubi dug into the earth and slowly began to crawl forward ignoring the blood that fell from his wound. When another hook attached to his other leg the Kyuubi turned and attacked the dark tenticals holding him.

That proved to be a mistake. He was being dragged back quicker then before. Slowly a hole opened up, looking as if everything was being swallowed within. Kyuubi realizing what was happening turned his body around and tried to escape again even as his legs disappeared beneath the earth. With one last burst of energy he used his arms to jump into the sky.

Sasuke watched as another hook shot up from beneath him and went through his chest. Slowly Kyuubi faded away leaving Naruto's limp form arched in the air. His eyes lost all color as his body went limp, looking like an exact replica of death. Without any problems from Naruto, the dark form took him beneath the earth and disappeared. Then the water came back and it was as if nothing had happened.

"No!" Sakura screamed with tears running down her face as she ran to the spot Naruto disappeared from. "Naruto!" she went on trying to break through the water to find him. "Naruto!"

Sasuke was frozen in shock at what he just witnessed. What could scare the Kyuubi so badly that he would try to escape? What was that thing and where was Naruto? Turning toward where Naruto's forehead protector was, Sasuke moved quickly to the bushes and dug around to see if he could find it. When his hands landed on something soft he pulled it free effortlessly. There it was, but what did this mean? Was Naruto attacked here?

Turning around he watched as Konoha 11 and his followers just stare in shock, horror, and tears at the place Sakura was attacking without results.

"That belongs to Naruto." the guy he didn't recognize said. His face blank of any emotion, save for the silent anger he displayed within his eyes. "Give it to me."

Sasuke just watched as he held out his hand and waited. Did he really think he would give this up? To him of all people?

"Give it to me!" the guy shouted.

"No." Sasuke said and took off.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

The trees blurred as Sasuke ran, each thing passing before it had time to realize he was there. Behind him he heard the sounds of the battle as his team tried to distract his old friends. From the sounds of it, they weren't doing so well.

Dropping from the trees, Sasuke barely avoided the ink lion as it smashed into the place he had been standing moments ago, taking out the branch like nothing.

"Give it back!" the pale teen demanded angrily.

Turning so that he ran backward Sasuke put Naruto's forehead protector inside his shirt before making fast hand signs, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he shouted, making the guy drop back.

"SASUKE!" Sakura yelled coming from the side of him. Her fist raised as she flew at him. Cutting his jutsu short, Sasuke dodged her attack that dented the earth where he stood. With a smirk he swirled on his foot and took off in another direction.

Why was he trying so hard to hold on to the forehead protector? It meant nothing to him. He should just drop it and walk away. He would be rid of the others that way. Sasuke tried to reach into his shirt, but his arm refused to do as it was told.

"Fang over Fang!" He heard Kiba yell.

With a curse Sasuke lept backward only to be attacked by Choji's Human bolder. Whenever he dodged one attack another came out of nowhere. Each of them trying to trap him, trying to take back what didn't belong to them.

Where was his team when they would actually be useful? Did Konoha nins already destroy them?

"Fire style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" he said and smirked as his old teammates jumped out of the way to avoid it.

Before they could regroup, Sasuke took to the trees again and disappeared.

xd-bx

"Is everyone okay?" Shikamaru asked helping Ino up.  
>"I'm good." Choji said.<p>

"He's fast." Lee remarked. "He avoided everything I threw at him."

"We have to get it back." Sakura clenched her fist as she continued to watch were Sasuke disappeared to. "We have to go get him."

"I agree." Sai said standing beside her. Before either could take off Shikamaru's voice stopped them.

"How do you plan to catch him? He's fast, he's almost impossible to catch."

"So how do you suppose we get him?" Sakura demanded.

"Why are we chasing him for a forehead protector?" Kiba asked.

"It's not just any protector. It's Naruto." Sakura growled pushing him painfully against a tree. "I won't let that traitor keep it."

"Sakura we need a plan. That plan involves Kiba in tact." Shikamaru said quietly, as Akamaru growled at the girl.

"What plan?" Shino asked.

"We need to catch Sasuke, but chasing him like this isn't doing us any good." Neji stated.  
>"Not if we stand here." Sai said refusing to look away from the place he last saw Sasuke, he'd kill the traitor and take back what belonged to Naruto.<p>

"Okay, what's the plan?" Ino asked into the tense silence.

xd-bx  
>"Sasuke!" Karin yelled as she and the others caught up with him, all three looking as if they've been through hell and back to catch up to him.<p>

"Where were you?" He demanded angrily, pissed at their pathetic state.

"Here and there." Suigetsu grinned and then flinched at Sasuke's glare. "We were forced off. Too many of them not enough of us. They aren't as weak as the genin you remembered them being."

"You are stronger then them." Sasuke said.

"But together they are impossible." Jugo said. "You do not want us to kill, there was no other way to stop them."

With a frown in place Sasuke pulled the head band out.  
>"Why do you want it? Why not give it back? It's what they want." Karin said, trying to put her appearance into order.<p>

Clenching his fist around the forehead protector, Sasuke met her gaze with his Sharigan blazing.

With a gasp Karin took a step back. "I'm so-sorry."

"Why do you want it?" Suigetsu asked flinching when Sasuke turned his way.

Why did Sasuke want it? Naruto meant nothing to him anymore. He was nothing but a means to an end. A past best forgotten. This head band should mean nothing to him. He should toss it on the ground and leave it there for someone else to find.

"Hn." he said after a long silence. Running a finger over the metal, he turned away from his team and began to walk off, the headband going back into his shirt.

xd-bx

_"Sasuke?"_

Sasuke frowned in his sleep as he turned over.

_"Hey Sasuke?"_

What was that noise?

_"Sasuke. I need you."_

"Naruto?" he whispered still asleep.

_"Help me. Please."_

"Where are you?" he asked, waking up slightly but not enough for the fog like state to be lifted.

_"In the dark." _

"What?"

_"HELP ME!"_

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled sitting up quickly. Looking around he found himself still in the middle of the forest, no one but him in sight. Was he dreaming? Did he only dream it because of what happened earlier? Running a hand through his hair, Sasuke tried to calm his racing heart. Tried to ignore the cool breeze brushing against his sweat covered form.

Pulling the headband out again, the raven frowned as the moonlight glistened off of it. "Naruto." he whispered softly before anger rose within him. With a curse he tossed the head band away, tossed it away like nothing. Standing up he began walking toward his team that was farther ahead of him, pretending like it didn't ache to leave the headband behind, to leave it where anyone could find it. Mentally telling himself not to go back.

"Sasuke."

At the sound of his name Sasuke turned quickly, pulling out his katana as he went into a defensive position, his eyes narrowed and searching for whoever snuck up on him. He'd make them regret it.

"Sasuke."

He heard someone whisper.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"Sasuke don't you know your best friend?"

"Naruto? Idiot, what the hell are you doing out here? What was with that show back there?" Sasuke demanded knowing Naruto's voice anywhere. "What the hell-"

"Sasuke, help me." Naruto said.

"Show yourself idiot."

"Help me."

"With what? If this is your way of getting me back to the village..." Sasuke let himself trail off when Naruto failed to make an appearance. "Naruto?" He called when the blonde didn't answer.

"I'm scared. I'm so scared."

"Naruto I'm not playing games."

"Sasuke." Naruto whispered as his voice faded away.

"Naruto-" Sasuke's eyes widen as a ghostly bloodly outline of Naruto stood right above his headband on the ground. "Naruto..."

"I'm scared. Please help me." Naruto begged as he broke down crying.

"Why are you scared? Where are you?" Sasuke asked moving toward him. "Naruto!" he yelled as the crying blonde disappeared into the night. "NARUTO!"

"Sasuke?" he heard Suigetsu call. "What's going on?"

"I need to find Naruto." Sasuke said picking up the head band, tucking it gently back into the folds of his shirt.

"How do you expect to do that?" Karin asked in confusion, her eyes begging to close for a few more hours.

"By teaming up with them." Sasuke said before taking off in search of the Konoha shinobis. Moments later he heard his team following behind him.

I'll find you Naruto, he vowled as he tried to get rid of the last image he saw of the blonde. I'll find you and you better tell me what the hell is going on.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Everyone understand the plan?" Shikamaru asked as they took to the trees.

"Yes."  
>"Good." with a nod they split into five groups and spread out. Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino and Choji. Lee and Shino. Neji and Hinata. Sai and Tenten, and finally Kiba and Akamaru.<p>

Spreading out farther all five groups picked up speed when Kiba announced he smelt something from up ahead. "I see him." Neji and Hinata said as one.

"He's moving this way." Neji added.

"Then he's making it easier for us." Shikamaru stated. "Shino."  
>"Done." Shino said dropping to the floor.<br>"Lee."

"Right behind him." Lee said dropping. Both Shinobi disappeared to the right and the left.

"Tenten, Sai."

"Going." both said disappearing higher into the trees.

"Kiba."

"Dropping back." Kiba said fading into the background as he dropped to the floor next.

"Hinata and Neji."  
>"Of course." Both Hyuga's said and as one turned left and the other right.<p>

"Okay, let's go." Shikamaru said as he, Sakura, Ino, and Choji kept going.

"Getting closer." He heard Neji say in his earpiece.  
>"Are we in position?" Shikamaru asked.<p>

"Yes." Shino said.

"Ready." Lee whispered.

"Same here for us." Tenten said for her and Sai.

"Ready when you are." Kiba answered.

The three around him nodded.

"He's almost here." Shino said.

"We see him." Tenten remarked.

"Hold." Shikamaru said stopping his group.

From their vantage point they saw Sasuke moving their way quickly with his team behind him, stunning Shikamaru slightly since he thought Sasuke would have ran. Was he coming back to finish them off? Not a chance, he told himself. They wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Now." Shikamaru said and watched as kunai came raining from the treetops catching the three behind Sasuke. Seconds later Sai's attack came out of nowhere, forcing them back away from the raven.

"Hyugas."

xd-bx

Sasuke jumped to the ground as both Hinata and Neji came from the right and left of him, their hands trying to hit any of his chakra points. He avoided them, but it took all of his concentration to keep from being touched.

xd-bx

"Shino." Shikamaru whispered.

"Already on it." Shino said.

"Lee?"

"He won't get passed me."

xd-bx

Sasuke cursed when Lee came into the fight, the green clad nin moving quickly as he struck out, sending Sasuke flying into one of the trees. Before Neji could reach him, Sasuke pushed off the broken branches and moved, just barely missing Neji's attack. Using that to their advantage, Lee struck again, sending him toward the ground. With a grunt, Sasuke hit hard, turning over seconds later to avoid Lee's foot. Above him, moving right behind Lee, both Hyuga's came flying at him. Each trying to land an attack on his body. He wanted to kill them. His blood screamed to kill them but he couldn't, not if he wanted to find Naruto, something inside of him told him he needed them for Naruto's sake. Jumping back and dodging their attacks, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, now it was his turn to take the lead.

xd-bx  
>"He activated it." Shikamaru said. "Sai, Tenten bring them this way. Choji and Ino you're up."<p>

"Done." All four said.  
>"Sakura?"<p>

"I'm ready." Sakura said clenching her fist and tightening her gloves as she did so.

Nodding, Shikamaru called Kiba in.

"It's about time, I was getting bored." Kiba grinned as he and Akamaru jumped into the fray with Tenten and Sai.

xd-bx

"How the hell does he want us to work with them!" Suigetsu yelled dodging another kunai by jumping behind a tree, only to move again when another attack came from behind.

"Just do as he says." Karin said moving away from the lion coming at her, already she had disabled four, but they seemed to be unending. If she could get to the painter...  
>"Fang over Fang!" she heard someone shout from the right of her.<p>

"Back!" she yelled as all three moved farther from Sasuke.

xd-bx  
>"Ino."<p>

"Finally." Ino remarked, holding out her hands in front of her, with her sight's on the girl she yelled, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Shikamaru noted the jerk of the girl's body and then he nodded when Karin turned and gave him a thumps up before turning to attack Jugo.

"Phase one complete. Choji keep Ino safe." Shikamaru said.

"Gottcha." Choji said expanding his body and standing over Ino's slumped form.

"Sai, Tenten, Kiba take out Suigetsu."

"Done." All three said before turning their sights on the white haired man.

"Shino?"

"Almost done."

"Good, come on Sakura, it's time to join the fight." Shikamaru said before jumping to the next branch.

"I've been waiting for this." Sakura said as she jumped to beside him and then dived down when she was above Sasuke's head.

Shikamaru in the mean time moved until he was in position and used his shadow technique to capture Jugo. "Phase two complete."

"Phase three complete." Sai said as he dropped Suigetsu's unconscious body on the floor.  
>xd-bx<p>

Hearing his name from above, Sasuke barely avoided Sakura's hit. Tsuande sure went all out on creating her.

"Enough of this." Sasuke said gathering chakra to one hand. "Chidori!" He yelled running at Sakura, before his attack connected with her glaring form it disappeared. Falling to his knees he gasped. "How?"

"My bugs ate at your chakra when you were fighting Hinata and Neji." Shino said stepping out of the trees.

"How?" Sasuke asked sitting back.

"I used Hinata and Neji as a distraction allowing to Lee carry my bugs without problem Neji and Hinata weren't trying to hit you, just keep your eyes and focus on them. Everytime you blocked Lee's attack or one landed on your body, they fell free."

"I see." Sasuke huffed, "I haven't felt this weak in a long time."

"You're wrong." Sakura glared moving to stand in front of him. "You've always been weak." she whispered as she reached into his shirt and pulled out Naruto's headband. "Everything you have become is because you are weak."

"Give it back." Sasuke glared trying and failing to stand, his arm to heavy to reach out and take it back.

"It doesn't belong to you."

"Why do you want it?" Lee asked quietly as the other three were brought to Sasuke's side. With chakra string all four were tied up quickly.

"Man her head is one messed up place to be." Ino said coming over with help of Choji.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine." Ino smiled tiredly.

"You never answered Lee's question." Neji said crossing his arms. "Why do you want it?"

"I have to find Naruto." Sasuke stated softly.  
>"That's rich." Sakura snorted. "You spent you're life hiding from him and now you want to find him."<p>

"Why?" Sai asked.

"Because he asked me to."


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Sasuke sat with his team tied to a tree as the others watched them from different parts of the makeshift camp. The fire in the center of camp illuminated their faces in the starless night. At one time or another, they all kept an eye on them, all as wary as they should have been, because once he got the chance, Sasuke would break free.

When Sasuke had told them,Naruto asked him to find him, everyone had blinked in surprise.

Shikamaru, being the most levelheaded as always, asked what he meant by that. Sasuke didn't want to tell them about the dream but he found no other choice. Every second wasted here was one more second something else was happening to Naruto.

After he told them what had happened, Sakura had scoffed and called him a liar, not that he cared for her opinion. Shikamaru seemed like the leader of them all, so all he needed was him to believe him. Sai, his look alike, just glared at him and agreed with Sakura.

Kiba was the one that came to his defense and said he didn't smell like he was lying. After some debate between all of them, Shikamaru had decided Sasuke was coming with them. Sakura had immidetally fought this along with Sai, Tenten, and shockingly Hinata.

Neji had agreed with Shikamaru's reasoning, saying that Sasuke could be of some use along with his team. Lee had stayed quiet. Shino agreed with Neji. Ino and Choji had said Shikamaru knew what he was doing. Kiba had voiced that if Sasuke was determined to help find Naruto, then he was game.

After a long silence Sasuke found himself here. Apparently he would be going with them but because they had compermised with Sakura, he would be tied up with chakra wire for the remainder of the trip. And this wire was infused with a bit of all of their chakra making it impossible to even move without winching in pain. How they did it, Sasuke didn't know. He planned to find out though, because there was no way he was looking for Naruto in this state.

His team had woke up hours ago after this had all gone down. Though they grumbled they agreed to this. All of them were loyal to Sasuke and so would follow him until they died.

Suigetsu had even went on to fight with Kiba, who was just as annoying as him. Karin had glared and argued with every word Sakura had spoken about Sasuke. Jugo remained quiet.

"So what's the plan?" Neji said bringing everyone's attention to him. "Were do we start?"

"The last place we saw Naruto." Sai answered. "It would be best-"

"That wasn't real." Sasuke interrupted. "It was an illusion."

"Then how do you explain the head band?" Sakura glared.

Sasuke said nothing. What could he say? He had no idea how that happened.

"He's right." Neji answered instead. "That wasn't real. The landscape was different. It was dry and more..."

"Empty." Ino supplied. "Wherever it was, it wasn't around here."

"Then explain this." Sakura hissed pulling out Naruto's forehead protector. Sasuke clenched his jaw at the way Sakura held it. She showed no respect for the shinobi she called a friend. How dare she hold it as if it were nothing!

"We don't have an answer. Maybe it was Naruto's doing. The head band disappeared once it went flying. Only Sasuke saw it." Choji said coming to Ino's defense.

"How was it Naruto?" Sakura mocked him. When no one had an answer she sneered at all of them, "How is Naruto helping him? We are his friends, not this traitor. Because of him, Naruto is gone." Sakura reminded them. "I was once like Naruto too, I believed with my whole heart that Sasuke was going to come back and I was wrong. I'm tired of living a lie and I've tried to get Naruto to see the truth-"

"Your words are nothing but scorn." Jugo broke in. "You sound like a child who was pushed aside for something else and instead of overcoming the hurt, you dug in deep with your fingers and refuse to let go. Becoming bitter with time."

"You don't know anything about her." Sai glared coldly at him. "You have no idea of the pain we went through as we searched for months for Naruto."

Months? Naruto was gone that long and Sasuke didn't know. How was that possible?

"We are his true friends." Sakura stated. "Sasuke is nothing to us or to Naruto."

"And yet he went out of his way to find Sasuke and try to bring him back." Suigetsu lifted his brow. "Naruto didn't seem to think along the lines that you did."

"Naruto came to Sasuke in a dream." Karin said quickly. "Has he come to you?"

"How do we know Sasuke was telling the truth?" Sai asked.

"All we have is his word." Sakura went on.

"And Kiba's nose." Hinata whispered quietly. "Kiba said he smelt truth in Sasuke's words."

"So are you calling me a liar?" Kiba asked from the low branch he sat on, Akamaru resting underneath him.

Sakura and Sai went quiet at this. They trusted Kiba with their lives and they trusted he spoke the truth. What they couldn't believe was that he was siding with Sasuke.

"No." Sai said finally. "We trust you. We don't trust him."

"Then trust that I know what I'm doing." Kiba answered, "That Shikamaru knows what he's doing. He is our unoffical leader."

Sakura clenched her fist tightly around Naruto's head band.

"If you ruin it, I will break free from this and no one will stop me from making you pay for it." Sasuke glared coldly at his old teammate.

"You wish to help us but still you threaten us?" Sakura glared but loosenedd her hold on the headband and put it away carefully in her pouch. It pissed Sasuke off that she had it. It wasn't right that it was in her hands. Naruto came to him not her. Sasuke came to them to gain help not lose the headband to them.

"Hn."

"Enough." Shikamaru finally said. "Let's rest and tomorrow we'll move on from here. Kiba, Hinata, Tenten you have first watch. Sai, Neji, Choji you have second. Ino, Sakura, and Lee will get third."

"What about you?" Kiba asked.  
>"I'll sleep." Shikamaru smirked. "I'm no good half awake."<p>

"As if you're ever truly awake." Ino laughed softly. Just like that the tension that was building fled away and everyone got ready to do as Shikamaru ordered.

xd-bx

That night as Sasuke was sleeping, he felt like something was watching him. Blinking his eyes a few times he gasped as he saw Naruto watching him with blank eyes. More blood seemed to be falling down his ghostly form.

"Naruto."

"Sasuke."

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asked running his eyes over Naruto sitting in front of him, not seeing the wounds, but there had to be some. Blood didn't fall from no where. "Where are you?"

"I don't know." Naruto answered softly. "I can't see, it's all dark."

"How did you get here?"

"I followed the light and it lead me here to you." Naruto answered looking around. "I can only see you. Everything else is dark."

Naruto looked lost. He reminded Sasuke of a scared little boy and not the shinobi that Sasuke last saw him as. Naruto always smiled or frowned in annoyance as he met with up with Sasuke. Naruto would sometimes frown in sadness but he always smiled in the end promising that the next time he would bring him back. He didn't look like this. This wasn't Naruto.

"Are you hurt?" the blood was running slowly like a stream down the blonde's body and disappearing before it touched the floor, but Naruto showed no signs of pain.

"Not right now. Other times I hurt. It hurts so much." Naruto whimpered bringing his knees closer to his body and hugging them tightly. "It's cold. I don't want to go back. It scares me, Sasuke. I want to stay with you, please help me."

"Can you escape?" Sasuke said not liking the fear on Naruto's face. "Or take us to wherever you are?"

"It scares Kyuubi. I feel his fear eating at me. He wants to run but it won't let us." Naruto went on as if Sasuke hadn't spoken. "It's holding us and it hurts. It won't let us go."

"What won't let you?" Sasuke asked ignoring the movement of the others. He knew they were all awake watching him. Did they see Naruto to?

"I don't know." Naruto cried into his knees. "I don't know."

"Why is Kyuubi afraid?" Kyuubi was the strongest tailed beast alive. No one was stronger then him.

"He won't say. He cries in fear as it gets closer to us. He want's to hide and I try but it always pulls us back. It hurts us. It hurts, Sasuke, it hurts." Naruto whispered as tears fell down his face.

"Naruto-"  
>Naruto gasped as his head went flying back. His body trembled in pain as he faded away.<p>

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted trying to reach out to the blonde but the stupid wire wouldn't set him free. "Naruto!"

"Help me Sasuke! Don't let him-" and then the blonde was gone, leaving a cold gust of wind.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke? What's going on?" Shikamaru asked rubbing his arms. "What was that? I woke up to see you talking to air and then it got really cold."

"It smells very foul." Kiba grimanced turning his face away. "Like death and rotting bodies. The smell almost hurts." Akamaru whined his agreement as he buried his nose underneath his paws.

"It was Naruto. We have to find him now!" Sasuke said struggling to break free. "He needs us!"

"Why didn't we see him?" Sakura whispered rubbing her arms. "Why doesn't he talk to us?"

"He said he followed the light to me and that everything else is dark." Sasuke answered. "He only sees me just like I see him."

"I saw something." Neji said softly. "I don't know what. It was like..."  
>"Something was there but not." Hinata filled in for him. "I could make out a wisp of smoke and then it was gone."<p>

"That was Naruto. You have to let me go so that we can find him!" Sasuke glared at Shikamaru.

"What's to keep you from running?" Sai asked.

"He came to us." Lee said. "That has to say something."

"It could be a way to betray us." Tenten argued.

"He let us tie him up." Shikamaru countered.

"But-"  
>"He could have still ran. By the time we decided to take him with us, his chakra was already coming back." Shino answered breaking all arguments. "He let us tie him up." he went on repeating Shikamaru. "I say release him."<p>

"He's the only one that can see Naruto and lead us to him." Kiba pointed out. "I vote the same."

"We have to find Naruto fast before something happens to him." Ino said as Choji and Neji nodded.

"Who votes we set them free?" Everyone but Sakura and Sai raised their hands. Sasuke's team didn't, but they voiced their opinions loudly.

Finally Sakura took a breath and shared a look with Sai. Turning to Sasuke she glared hatefully. "If you step an inch out of line, I will kill you."

"As if you could." Sasuke glared back.

With a glare still in place she let him free. When Sasuke stood up she took a step back but he was faster. Holding on to her arm and uncaring of the others ready to attack, he reached into her pouch, ignoring her gasp. "This is for me." he glared grabbing on to Naruto's head band. Releasing her he turned away. "We should leave quickly."

"Which way?" Shikamaru asked as they packed up the camp and the others, that were tied to the tree, rubbed at their wrist and arms to get feeling back into them.

"That way." Sasuke said turning north. "We head that way. That's where we will find him."


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Trees passed by in a blur but not one sound could be heard. The small group of strong shinobis left no trails or evidence that they had even been there. They simply kept going forward with one word chanting through their heads, 'Naruto'.

Sasuke was lost in his own thoughts just as much as the others. Where was Naruto and what was holding him? Who could scare the Kyuubi so badly it was begging to flee? To be saved?

"Sasuke," Shikamaru called from his right as he moved evenly with him.

Sasuke sent him a quick glance to let him know he was listening but otherwise ignored the other.

"Why are you doing this?" the lazy shinobi asked. "You have no reason. Why look for Naruto, work with us, and... why?"

Why? Sasuke wasn't sure why. He had no reason to search for his former teammate and friend. Naruto was from a long time ago. He had no meaning to Sasuke now but yet Sasuke couldn't leave him where he was. Why was that? Why couldn't he just hand them the headband and turn away?

"Sasuke?"

"I don't know." he answered honestly.

"Okay."

After that not another word was spoken for the rest of the day until they made camp. Sasuke didn't want to stop but even he couldn't go nonstop without rest. Just hold on Naruto, I'm coming.

"So how are you guys out of the village? Is this a mission? Why send so many?" Suigetsu asked the Konoha shinobi's.

"No." Kiba answered as he ran a hand over Akamaru's fur.

"Then what?"

"We left the village on our own mission." Shikamaru answered as he rested flat on the floor, looking up at the stars. "They wouldn't let us go and search for him. The Hokage said they had teams searching for him and we weren't needed. After months of Naruto not coming back we left."

"Sakura and Sai were leaving," Ino said as she combed her hair. "Shika, Choji and I saw them packing and asked what they were doing, when they finally told us, we said we were coming too. Then Choji told Shino who told his team and they in turn told Neji, Tenten, and Lee. Needless to say, when Sai and Sakura left in the middle of the night, we left too."

"So you're rogue?" Suigetsu asked with a lift of his brow.

"Temporarly rogue." Lee stated with a grin. "We left a note on a tree so they are bound to find it. We told them we will return with Naruto."

"And if Naruto doesn't go back?"

"Neither do we." Shino answered.

"When did you leave?" Karin asked.

"Three weeks ago." Ino said. "I suspect Lady Tsunade has kept it quiet because of why we left. I'm sure she's come up with 'missions' for each of our teams to have."

"Who did she send searching for Naruto?" Sasuke asked bringing all eyes to him. He could care less about how they left. They were of little importantance. He knew they knew this.

"Kakashi sensei, Captain Yamato, and Gai sensei are leading three man teams each. Who they picked for the other two, I'm not sure." Shikamaru shrugged. "I suspect other Anbu, but who knows."

So Kakashi was searching for Naruto? If that was the case, why hadn't that perverted man found him yet? Kakashi was always useless. He was only good for teaching Sasuke the chidori but nothing more.

"We should sleep that way we are well rested and have a better chance of finding Naruto." Hinata said without a stutter.

"Hinata's right." Neji said.

A few minutes later everyone got comfortable and were soon fast asleep. Sasuke, who had moved to a higher branch to get away from them, saw Ino using Shikamaru as a pillow who in turned used Choji. Neji was sleeping beside Hinata who was next to Kiba and Akamaru. Shino was resting next to Sai and Lee while Sakura slept next to Tenten. Karin was sleeping, surprisingly, next to Suigetsu who was using Akmaru as his own comfy pillow and snoring away. Jugo was off to the side by himself.

Only Naruto could bring criminals and noncriminals together like this. Shaking his head, Sasuke closed his eyes and let sleep take him. Half hoping Naruto would come to him and half hoping he wouldn't. Everytime he saw the blonde, Naruto always looked worse.

With a sigh, Sasuke dreamt of Naruto. He saw him as a twelve year old as he yelled at him demanding a rematch and declaring himself stronger. He saw Naruto as they trained, did stupid missions, stronger missions, and the last time he saw the blonde as his fellow teammate and not the enemy. Then everything changed. Instead of Naruto chasing after him. Sasuke found the blonde turning from him and walking away. Confusion followed by pain hit Sasuke as Naruto got farther away. When he found himself calling out to the blonde and then chasing him, Sasuke began to feel the pain increase. No matter how fast he ran or how close he came, Naruto was always too far away. The background seemed to turn completely white leaving the only color on him and the blonde. Slowly Naruto got farther and farther, his body seeming to become one with the white background and then he was gone.

Reaching out his hand, Sasuke screamed his name and woke up. Sweat ran down his body and his breath was uneven. Turning to look down at the others still sleeping away Sasuke frowned as a memory came back to him.

He was sitting alone on the dock as the water moved beneath him. He wasn't sure what made him look up and over his shoulder but he couldn't stop himself from doing so. When Naruto looked right back at him, Sasuke felt a kinship even as Naruto turned away and kept going. Turning back to the water, Sasuke found himself smiling softly.

Why should he remember something so stupid? Sasuke wondered. Why of all the memories was he remembering that one? The one that had little meaning to him?

_"I'm your friend."_ he heard someone whisper in his ear.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly as he turned his head to the right and finding nothing.

Naruto's voice echoed around him. _"You're my best friend. My brother. I won't ever give up on you."_

"Idiot." Sasuke said with out heat when he felt Naruto's essence fading away. "Wait for me." Jumping to the ground he woke everyone up and told them it was time to go. Once back on the move, Sasuke told himself his dream of Naruto walking away was not going to be reality. Even if Sasuke never planned to return to the village, he would save Naruto.


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

They had been running almost nonstop. Stopping only to eat and sleep for a few hours before they were off again. All of them followed Sasuke blindly, praying he was leading them to Naruto and not to a trap. He was kind of surprised they didn't question him at all. Did they trust him that much or were they only following because they had no other leads to Naruto?

He knew Sakura and Sai did not believe he could save their blonde teammate. He knew they wished to fight him but he also knew that they knew he was the only one that could find Naruto.

For whatever reason, Naruto had chosen him to come to. He didn't choose his teammates, his friends, his teachers, or anyone else, he had come to Sasuke.

He had given Sasuke his forehead protector. He had appeared in Sasuke's dreams and only before Sasuke. The others couldn't see him at all...

Unsure of the feeling going through his body at that notion, Sasuke shook it off and jumped from tree to tree as he sped toward the direction Naruto was in, or believed he was in. Call it a gut feeling, but he knew this was the right direction. Was he safe? Was he alive? What had taken him?

"Stop!" Karin shouted, freezing on the branch she was on as she looked around in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked gruffly as everyone went on alert, readying themselves for any attacks.

"Something is..." not finishing the sentence, Karin dropped to the ground, still looking around as if she was searching for soemthing. When she began looking behind trees and bushes, the others turned to look at Sasuke, as if telling him to figure out why she was acting weird.

"Karin," Sasuke called out when she moved farther off. She reminded him of a dog on a scent as she searched and moved around everything.

"Hold on something is here." She frowned, moving beyond their field of sight. Dropping to the ground, Sasuke followed after her, leaving the others to wait or come if they wished.

"What do you sense?"

"I don't know." She said quietly, turning in a small cirlce, her eyes closed as she tried to pinpoint where, whatever it was, was at.

"Neji," Shikamaru said.

"Byakugan!" Neji said, his eyes changing slightly as he tried to find whatever had Karin entranced. "I don't see anything." he frowned as he turned in a complete circle, making sure to look closer to any signs of odd happenings.

"That's because you aren't looking right," Karin called, surprising everyone when they turned to find her ten feet away.

"What do you mean?" Neji frowned as he moved toward her. Standing beside her, he blinked in surprise as a hole, at least five feet wide seemed to jump out at him. Looking down he gasped, "There's something down there. It's very strong. I can't make it out."

"But you see it?" Karin questioned as she wrapped her arms around herself. The others moved around the circle, each looking down but none making a move to do anything else.

"What do we do?" Sakura gulped as fear ran down her spine. Even if she couldn't sense like Karin or see like Neji, Hinata, or Sasuke, she could feel something not right with this place. She wanted to move on to try and find Naruto, not stand here anymore.

"We jump." Sasuke answered softly, his own eyes trying to deciper how far it was down and what exactly was down there.

"Jump?" Tenten gasped. "Why?"

"Naruto's down there." Shikamaru answered and at once was rewarded with gasps of shock. But he knew he was right. Why else would Karin be called to this place or the Hyuuga's and Uchiha be watching the hole like it held all of their biggest dreams? This wasn't the place that thing had taken Naruto down in, but it had dragged something in this area.

"If we all go down, we won't all come back up." Karin said into the stunned silence.

"What do you mean?" Shino frowned.

"Whatever is down there will try and kill us before we can make it back up here alive. The majority of us may die today." Neji answered.

"With words like that it's a wonder you don't become a teacher." Kiba remarked as he ran his hand over Akamaru's trembling form.

"I'm going in." Sasuke remarked. "If you wish to follow then do so, otherwise shut up and go home." with that he took one step and dropped, his body quickly disappearing into the inky darkness.

"If he jumps I jump." Suigetsu gulped, "I'm not a coward." with that he followed Sasuke. Right behind him Jugo and Karin dropped.

"I won't force you guys to go," Shikamaru said softly, "I, or Naruto, won't think little of you for staying here." without another word he went in followed quickly by Choji and Ino.

"I will save Naruto, even if I will die to do so." Lee stated as he jumped in.

"Naruto saved me, it's only fitting I save him as well." Neji said before he jumped.

Without saying anything Hinata quickly followed.

"Bombs away." Kiba whispered fearfully as he went after her along with Akamaru.

Quick to follow was Shino and Tenten.

"For Naruto," Sakura said to Sai.

"For Naruto." Sai answered as they went in.

xd-bx

Pulling a kunai free, Sasuke used it to latch onto the wall, slowing his fall to a more manageable speed. Sparks flew around him, but he paid it no mind as he kept his gaze down, his eyes scanning for the end or a attack. Above him he could hear the others following his lead, the grind of metal against stone telling him so.

After what seemed like hours of falling, Sasuke pushed off the wall and landed on a ledge. Moving to the edge, he stilled and looked around. What he could make out were passages of various sizes close by. Below he could make out the tips of pointed rocks, looking as if they were waiting for an idiot to fall on to them. He knew without his eyes activated he would have been just as blind as anyone else.

"It smells musky and old," Kiba said when he appeared with Akamaru as both took another sniff. "Dead. I hear water, so I think there's a stream down there...somewhere." he said.

"Do you see what I see, Neji?" Hinata gasped softly, her eyes shadowed by the darkness, but drinking everything in. So much was going on down here. So much demanding her attention. How were they to find Naruto if everything was...

"The caves are pulsing with Chakra." Neji answered, "Lee if you move any farther, you are going to fall to your death."

"Everyone stop moving." Shikamaru ordered as he dug through his bag. "I don't want anyone to know I died by being stupid and I rather not tell anyone any of you died by falling off a cliff." Finding a glow stick, he snapped it and held it above his head, flinching as the light touched his eyes. Looking around he found everyone alive and okay for the time being. "I only have a few of these, enough to last us a few hours at most."

"When it dies we can use fire-"

"The air is dense here, fire can't work here. It would take more chakra to get a small flame then it normally would." Sasuke cut off Suigetsu.

"Then I assume as we go farther in, it'll become harder to breathe as well?" Shino questioned.

"It's already hard to breathe, how much worse can it get?" Kiba joked softly.

"How many glow sticks do you have Shikamaru?" Ino questioned as she pulled her own out. "I have two."

"I have five, so each one will last an hour at most." Shikamaru said as he took hers in his hand. "Anyone else?"

"Here," Choji said as he handed over three.

In the end, with everyones added up, they had sixty six glow sticks. Nodding to himself, Shikamaru sighed, "We have enough for twenty two hours, two for the front, middle, and last person and one for each hour, when they run out, we better be topside otherwise we'll be going by ear and scent alone. Who's taking the lead?"

"I am," Sasuke said holding out his hand. "Give me a third."

"Who's taking the middle?" Shikamaru asked handing over the portion, one of which was the glow stick that he broke.

"I'll do it," Neji said taking a third as well.

"Kiba you get the end."

"Why me?" Kiba frowned as he took the rest of them and placed all but one in his pocket.

"Because none of us wants to smell Akamaru's pee as he leaves it. When we leave, you're leading us out." Shikamaru smirked as he stopped Kiba from breaking a glow stick. "Try to hold off on using your glow sticks unless they are needed, understood?"

"What? Why? What if I fall?"

"I doubt you'll fall if you can manuver by scent and hearing alone." Shikamaru reminded the pouting teen. "Yours are going to get us back out."

"Does Neji get to use his?"

"Yes, we need to keep the path in sight, and Neji is the middle person."

"How will we go?" Karin asked before Kiba could say more.

"Sasuke, you, Hinata, Lee, Suigetsu, Shino, Sakura, Neji, Choji, Jugo, me, Ino, Tenten, Sai, Kiba, and Akamaru." Shikamaru said, "Now lets move before we waste what little glow sticks we have. Sasuke choose your path."

"Hn." Sasuke said as he tied a glow stick to a wire around his neck. "Karin?"

"I feel it stronger that way." Karin said pointing toward the right. Even if the Hyuuga's and Sasuke were using their eyes, she knew what they were seeing. There was a lot of life in this dead place. She would follow the strongest power source and hopefully that would be were they'd find Naruto.

With a nod, Sasuke jumped down, his eyes scanning and trying to find the fastest and easiest path.


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

They traveled nonstop for what seemed like hours. Their pace was even, none outright running. The paths they took were all twisted and turned about each other. Some ending without warning. The air was dead around them, unmoving as it filled their lungs. None of them chose to speak, each thinking very little, only the next step they'd take.

All around, Sasuke could see the chakra. Now that he was actually looking, he found streams of it running through the walls. It surprised him how much was actually within the walls and the floors. The amount that he saw here would allow shinobi to fight nonstop for days and days. They could use their most powerful attack without end.

When he had tried reaching for the chakra, to see if he could connect to the stream, he had touched a dead wall. It was like the chakra was running from them, and in a way it was. With every step they took, the chakra would fade away. If they touched the walls, it scattered like roaches in a light. When they moved on, it would go back to it's original place.

"We should take a small break." Shikamaru called up. "Five minutes at least."

"We can't stop. We have to find Naruto." Sakura snapped, and for once Sasuke agreed with her.

"Well, I can't breathe." Shikamaru panted, resting his hands on his knees as he bent over. "My lungs are trying to take air that's not there. My heartbeat is going like crazy, and I'm filling very light headed."

"Me too." Suigetsu admitted, leaning against a wall with one hand. "I thought it was only me, but hell, I'm glad it's not."

"Five minutes." Sasuke decided when he looked at each of the others. You'd think they were all out of shape with the way they were panting. He knew he had the same symptoms as Shikamaru expressed, but he was forcing himself not to think about them. How was Naruto surviving down here? How did he make it so long beneath the ground?

"Do you think," Ino gasped, holding her sides, "that this is that bad feeling you guys had?"

"No," Karin shook her head, hands resting on her hips. "Something is still making my heart jump in my throat. I'm surprised we haven't run into it-"

"Because we passed it." Kiba whispered as he and Akamaru looked toward the rear. They couldn't see it clearly, but they heard it well enough. Whatever it was, it was coming up on them from beneath the ground fast. It was big, how big he didn't know, but he knew it could wiped them out. "We have to move, now!" he shouted when the others did nothing but look.

Without a second thought, Sasuke fled, the others right behind him. Without really seeing where he was going, he randomly took directions, turning just in time to avoid a collison with a wall. He was kind of stunned on how quickly he had responded to Kiba's order. Without a second thought he had done as Kiba wanted him too. They had all done so.

"Kiba?" he heard Shikamaru shout as their footsteps flew across the ground.

"It's catching up!" Kiba said frantically, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Ceiling! Now!" he shouted just as it broke through the ground. As seconds seemed to turn to hours, everyone ran on the ceiling, watching the ink tenticals appear from the ground, shooting up like spikes as it missed them. Just as quickly as it attacked, it disappeared beneath the ground and struck again.

With a curse, Sasuke barely dodged the attack, dropping to the ground and rolling twice. Without pause he shot up again, dodging the strikes as they came faster. Three times he was forced to change directions, scrambling and barely avoiding impact with the others. A few other times, he had been shoved out of the way by someone or other, and if not for them, he would have been pulled under.

"Shit!" he heard someone curse. Throwing a kunai at one tentical, Sasuke jumped back and in slow motion he saw one of the spikes dig deep into Tenten's leg before she was pulled beneath the ground, a scream of curses leaving her lips as weapons went flying.

When another scream was cut off, Sasuke turned just in time to avoid yet another tentical. But instead of landing on firm ground, he freefell straight down one hole, sliding when it curved and unable to grasp onto anything. With a few more twist and turns, at the speed he was going, he flew across the ground and landed on his stomach. Before he could even catch his breath and stand, he was pushed forcfully to the ground once more as five more people landed on him.

"Get off." He got out, as he tried to get free of the wailing limps.

"Sorry." Kiba said quickly. "I think that thing is gone."

"That is not one ride I'd like to try again." Suigetsu groaned, moving off the pile of bodies and arching his back, trying to ease the ache. "Where is everyone else?"

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted at the same time, cupping his mouth. Before he could shout again, Sasuke was behind him, his hand stopping any further noise from being sent out. As Kiba struggled to break free, Sasuke glared at him.

"Shut up before you bring it to us." He whispered fiercely. "We have no idea what the hell it is, or where it is, but I'm sure with any more outburst, it'll find us."

"I have to find Akamaru." Kiba whispered back, prying Sauske's hand off of him.

"He's with the others." Hinata said. "Before I fell, I saw Akamaru's chakra disappear in another hole."

"So we all fell?" Shikamaru questioned.

"I'm not sure. I only saw Akamaru fall. I tried to get to him, but the tentical pushed me into this hole." Hinata said softly, rubbing at her stomach. So far everything felt fine, if not a little bruised.

"So we have to assume that either: a) we all fell down one hole or another, or b) some of us ran ahead and some of us ran back." Shikamaru sighed, worry for everyone eating at him.

"Tenten was dragged by that thing." Sasuke said, looking at everyone that was with him. Suigetsu was stretching his body, flinching slightly when he turned the wrong way. Kiba was looking out into the distance, almost as if he was trying to see Akamaru coming. Shikamaru was crouched, his hands in some odd triangle form. Hinata had her Byakugan activted and looked troubled by what she saw. Sakura was pacing, not moving beyond the edge of light created by the glow stick.

"What!" Sakura gasped, bringing all eyes to Sasuke. "Why didn't you help her! Are you even-"

"Right, because he wasn't fighting for his own life." Suigetsu said sarcastically, bringing her angry eyes to him. "Besides, if I wasn't mistaken, that one with the glasses pushed you out of the way and got dragged beneath."

"Shut up." Sakura glared.

"No, I'm sick and tired of your att-"

"Enough!" Shikamaru snapped. "For the moment we have little information to assume anything. I'm going to hope and pray they're okay, but we all knew what would happen when we came down."

"So you're siding with the traitor?" Sakura glared.

"No," Shikamaru snapped, "Right now, what I know is that we all knew what could happen. We came in knowing this, and you aren't making anything easier, Sakura. Now as of this moment, I'm going to keep looking for Naruto and believing that everyone's okay. If you have nothing to contribute but placing blame, then find your own way out!"

When no one spoke, each looking stunned, Shikamaru sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Okay, wonderful. Hinata?"

"The walls are all pulsing the same way. It's almost impossible to see a real path." Hinata said, scanning the area.

"That way." Sasuke pointed. "I think that's the only exit. The chakra fades behind in that section."

"Watch your step and lead the way." Shikamaru sighed.

xd-bx

"Hello?" Choji called out. His head hurt like crazy and he knew blood was falling down his face. After being slammed through a wall, he had lost contact with everyone. He wasn't sure if he blacked out or not, the only thing he was sure of was that he couldn't see. Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba each had the glowsticks and he was pretty sure none of them were near him. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" he called out again, shuffling forward slowly, hands outstretched. Feeling the wall toward his right, he followed along. "Hello? If you can hear me, answer me!" he called out louder.

When something came from farther ahead of him, he paused. Straining his ears, he called out again, "Hello? Is someone there?"

It took a while before he heard something again. "Akamaru? Is that you boy?"

"Arf." came the soft bark like whimper.

Moving quickly, Choji shuffled foward. Tripping over a few rocks and almost falling down another hole, he finally made it to Akamaru's side. "Akamaru?" he said, feeling his tail move against his leg. With a whine, Akamaru barked again.

It was only as Choji bent down that he realized Akamaru was trapped beneath a few small boulders. "Hold on, boy, I'm going to get you out of there." Choji said, wishing he had some form of light. Working in the darkness was hard, sure he had trained for all forms of battle, but the panic and worry he felt for his friends, and the bitter scent of his blood, and the bloody clumps of fur he felt sticking to his hands, were making things harder. "Akamaru?" he said when the last boulder was gone.

Getting a whimper in reply, Choji ran his hands down Akamaru's body. When he touched the right hind leg, Akamaru growled in pain. Running his hands blindly up Akamaru's body, Choji found more wounds and blood seeping through some on his side, when he got to his head, he was met with a large amount of blood. "Hold on boy. I'm going to try and stop the bleeding." he told him, tearing his own shirt to strips and wrapping it around the dog's head. "I'm going to wrap the leg to, so I need you to hold still." He said soothingly as he moved gently to Akamaru's leg and set to work. With soft whines, Akamaru held still and by the time Choji finished wrapping the leg, Akamaru was shivering but making no noise. "I have to wrap your sides." he said, unsure of what to wrap around him. He had lost his bag in the scramble and had no tools or anything on him.

With a sigh, he pulled his shorts off, leaving him only in boxers, Choji tore his shorts to strips as well, tying them together and gently wrapping them around Akamaru's body. He had no idea what Akamaru looked like, or if he had even covered every wound, but Choji was hoping that he had done some good for the dog. Sitting beside Akamaru, he ran his fingers gently over the dog's ear. "Just hold on, Akamaru. We'll get out of here and you'll see Kiba again." at the sound of Kiba's name, Akamaru's tail thumped a few times softly.

xd-bx

Neji looked for any exit as he held Karin's arm over his shoulder, shuffling along. The red head had lost her glasses somewhere along the way, but he doubted she noticed. For the most part she had been in and out of it. Her body was leaning more on him with every minute to pass. He knew she was wounded, as was he, but he wasn't sure to what degree. He had done the best he could with the knowledge and tools. What was a bruise and what was dirt was hard to deciper when the only light he had was a green glow stick. The only thing he could see was the torn clothing they wore.

How they ended up together was uncertain. The last thing Neji remembered was avoiding a tentical and pushing off the wall. The next thing he knew no one was around, holes were everywhere and Karin was knocked unconscious close beside him.

Why the tenticals didn't take them, he didn't know. He justed hoped that everyone was okay. He had called out a few times, but gained no answers in return. He remembered seeing Tenten disappearing, but he wasn't sure what had happend to anyone else.

"Keep walking, Karin." he told his companion when her knees started to buckle. Should he go back to find help for her or should he keep going forward? he wondered, pausing as he looked around. To be honest he wasn't even sure what direction he was going. Nothing looked the same and the damage done by the tenticals wasn't helping any. Activating his eyes, he scanned the area and frowned when everything was completely silent around them.

There was no strings of chakra anywhere. Where did it all go?

"That way." Karin whispered, leaning her head against his chest in the process. "Feel... that way."

Looking into her pale face, Neji once more frowned in worry. Did she even know what she was saying? Or was it all mumble jumble like the last time. Her sentences were very hard to understand at most. Many times her converstation seemed to be past ones. "You're sure?" He asked her.

"Yeah." she nodded, trying to walk but unable to take a step without aid. "That way..."

Nodding, Neji positioned her better at his side once more and moved in the direction she pointed to. If they were going back or going forward, he didn't know. He was just going to have to rely on Karin from this point forth, even if that was iffy, but he rather have a direction then wander around amisly. Maybe they'd run into a chakra stream again to help him find a way, but with the way things were looking, he doubted he'd see anything.

xd-bx

Lee tried to get up, tried to move, but his body just wasn't listening. He didn't feel exhausted, he felt normal maybe sore, but something wasn't letting him move. He couldn't struggle, couldn't even see. He wasn't sure if he was standing against the wall or flat on his back on the floor, just that something was firmly placed behind him and under his feet. When he tried to speak, nothing came out.

When the soft sounds of something moving over the ground reached his ears, he stiffened up and focused all of his attention on it. At the first touch, he wanted to cry out at the icy coldness that penetrated his skin. Instead he could do nothing as it wrapped around him completely. When nothing was left uncovered, Lee felt the ground slowly moving and realized he was being dragged.

With panic racing over him, and his lungs burning with the lack of air, Lee begged his body to move, to fight back.  
>I will not die like this! He thought, I will not die!<p>

xd-bx

"Thank you for carrying me," Ino said to Jugo as she rested on his back.

"Of course." Jugo nodded, walking on. By some luck, they had ended up with a glow stick. The light wasn't as bright as when they started, but it was enough to allow them to see. "Just work on healing your leg." he told her.

Nodding, Ino kept her palm above her leg, just below her knee. Durning the attack, she had landed wrong, spraining her ankle, and when she went to move, uncaring of the wound, a tentical had cut almost to the bone, six inches long. Jugo had grabbed her and jumped down one hole, pulling Sai along with them.

They had fallen straight down before the tunnel curved and sent them plunging into freezing water. After they had pulled themselves out, they had waited and helped Ino clean her wound before they bandaged it. Jugo had told her to heal herself as he picked her up and told Sai to lead the way.

"Do you see anything, Sai?" Ino called out to the other shinobi.

"No," Sai answered, the glow stick moving along the walls, ceiling, and floor. "There is only a straight path so far. My rats haven't found anything either. None have come back to tell me of an exit."

"There has to be one. These tunnels couldn't have been created for decoration." Jugo said calmly.

"Do you think the others are okay?" Ino asked Jugo.

"Don't dwell on it." Jugo said after a long hesitation.

xd-bx

Tenten groaned as she quickly bandaged her thigh. The wound in her leg hurt, the blood running slowly through the hole she now carried. Beside her, Shino layed unmoving. Even when she had tried to shake him, he had yet to respond. He was alive, that much she could see, but for how long... she didn't wish to dwell on it.

Looking around, she was able to see a pale glow bouncing off the walls, lighting the area softly.

"Shino," she called again, tying the bandage. "Wake up, Shino." she whispered, leaning toward him to shake his shoulder. "Shin-" At the sound of a sharp cry of pain, Tenten froze and looked around. The cry echoed off the walls, bouncing around until it faded, only to start again.

Getting up quickly, keeping the weight off her wounded leg, Tenten looked around again and spotted nothing. Pulling a scroll free from her pouch, she did a few hand signs before a spear appeared before her. Rolling up the scroll again, she used the spear as a crutch and moved forward.

Moving around the bend of the wall, she froze when she saw Naruto, in nothing but what was left of his pants. He was covered in blood, tubes connecting to his body, draining chakra from him slowly. His eyes were sewn shut and his fingers were stapled to the table beneath him. Long metal needles, at least half an inch thick, were nailed through his legs, arms, and chest and connected to the tubes. She saw an outline of Kyuubi around him, the demon arching and and crying out, using Naruto's voice to scream his pain.

"Naruto..." she whispered, holding a hand to her mouth.

"_Run_."

Turning quickly and falling to the ground, Tenten found the blonde shinobi standing beside her, his body covered in blood, his form looking transparent. "N-naruto?" she gasped.

"_Run_!" he shouted again, his voice sounding as if it was coming from a long tunnel. The fear and panic he held in his eyes shining clearly. He looked around as if seeing something she couldn't, but he kept screaming for her to run. When his eyes grew in shock, glued to something behind her, Tenten slowly turned.

Before a scream could leave her, she felt the pain explode into her chest. In stunned silence, she gazed at the thing before her, her mouth moving but nothing but blood coming out. Without another word, everything faded away and the darkness overtook her.


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Which way?" Shikamaru asked after some time. It seemed like hours since they had been seperated from the others. Seemed twice as long since they had set out on their own. Now they stood here, both Hinata and Sasuke looking toward two different tunnels. Whatever they saw seemed to be as much as he saw himself. Which was pretty much nothing.

"I...don't know." Hinata said. "I don't see anything but darkness."

"Hn." Sasuke said in answer, his face turned away from all of them so none could see the expression he bore.

"Could it be a dead end?" Suigetsu groaned, sitting on the floor as he leaned back, his hands holding him up.

"No, the tunnels go on, but I'm not sure which one goes where." Hinata answered.  
>"Why not pick one randomly then?" Sakura asked, her hands resting on her hips. "Do a rhyme like we did when we were children."<p>

"That's stupid." Suigetsu snorted. "Suppose we do that and end up at the wrong one?"

"Or suppose we do that and end up in the right one?" Shikamaru questioned.

"You're seriously considering this?" Suigetsu gaped in shock.

"I have nothing else to go on and both Sasuke and Hinata can't see beyond what we do. The smell has damaged Kiba's nose to the point where we're not sure if he'd be able to smell normally again, and I don't see you offering anything." Shikamaru said blandly.

"Anyone know any rhymes?" Hinata asked into the silence.

"I know one but it won't go with choosing." Kiba said when no one spoke up. "It's a rhyme I heard as a child. My mom learned it when she traveled to another country on one of her missions. It's a bit long, two ver-"

"Well... say the first half," Sakura said, "Just turn in a circle and which ever way you stop when the rhymes over, that's the way we go."

"And if he's facing the way we came?" Suigetsu questioned with a roll of his eyes.

"Say the rhyme Kiba," Sasuke said, bringing the others to silence.

"Uh, okay." Kiba said as Sasuke lifted his arm, his pointer finger pointing into one tunnel. "_Natsuhiboshi why are you so red ,_" Kiba said, watching as Sasuke's finger went from one tunnel toward the other with every other word, "_Because I had a sad dream last night My eyes are red From the tears I shed Swollen as I cried._" he finished, Sasuke's finger pointing into the left tunnel.

Without waiting for anyone to say anything, Sasuke moved forward, the others walking behind him.

"_Natsuhiboshi why've you lost the way_," Suigetsu said softly to himself, finishing the rhyme he remembered his own brother singing to him. "_I'm searching for a child who's gone afar He can't be found though I've searched all day My sad dreams come once more._" He had always wondered where Mangetsu had learned such a lullaby, the song so at odds with his brother. Mangetsu had rarely shown him affection, becoming his teacher and training Suigetsu to become strong enough to take a sword for himself. Mangetsu had never done a kind thing for him, had never said a kind word in his direction. To Mangetsu, it was live or die. Everyday they trained. Everyday Mangetsu would show him another way to kill. Everyday, Suigetsu would fall just an inch short of pleasing his brother.

He had failed Mangetsu in so many ways with his weakness, had suffered the punishments as well. But instead of getting his punishment for one of their last missions together, their last training session together, Mangetsu had sung him a lullaby. He had only sung it once, but Suigetsu had remembered every word, had memorized it to the point of obsession. It was one of the last gifts Mangetsu had given him as he patted his head, one that showed his brother still cared enough to sing to him, that he had done him proud that day. The day Mangetsu had died, Suigetsu had fallen beside his brother, his face devoid of emotions, his heart completely shattered, and he sung the lullaby back to his brother.

To hear it sung again, out of no where, Suigetsu could have sworn Mangetsu had sung it to him. His reward for getting this far.

xd-bx

"Anything?" Ino asked as they rested once more. Her leg was throbbing softly, just enough to remind her something wasn't fully healed. Jugo sat across from her, or at least that's what she thought since she couldn't see, and Sai was next to her.

"Nothing, I lost contact with the mice." Sai said, a shift in his voice showing them how frustrated he was at that.

"Send some more." Jugo ordered.

"I've tried. Everytime I make more, I'm a few mice short. This cave is sucking my chakra dry. I can't keep using my jutsus when my body is demanding a fresh breath of clean air."

"Try harder." Jugo said. "I will not die down here. Nor am I going to let rocks and tunnels keep me from getting out."

"I..."

"If you do not try, you'll die. You cannot save your friend if you're dead." Jugo said.

"Just give him time." Ino snapped. "He's done more then either you or I did." not getting an answer, Ino leaned her head back against the stone behind her. Was everyone okay? Was Shikamaru and Choji alright? What of Shino, Hinata, and Kiba? Neji, Tenten, Lee, were they still alive? Was Sakura alive? Were Sasuke and Naruto... "Just give him time."

"Time is taking our lives. It is working against us." Jugo stated. "I know you need to rest, I need it too. But if we rest any longer, we may never get back up. This cave is death. It smells of death, taste of death, feels of death. It is our grave if we do not continue on."

"Alright." Sai said into the silence that followed. His hand flew over his scroll, his vision unneeded as the familiar movements of his creation came to be. "They're off." he said moments later as he felt the mice scurry away. He knew there were more then a hundred, but with each second that past, one mouse faded away. "Something is taking them away or my chakra is too weak to keep them all going."

"How many do you have?" Jugo asked.

"Fourty-five... thirty-one." Sai said trying to keep count.

"Let all but five go. Focus on those five and send the rest away."

"You can do this, Sai." Ino said trying to sound confident.

"Four." Sai said, trying all he could to keep those four from disappearing. How could a jutsu he knew so well, could do in his sleep, be failing him so badly? He had practiced this and used this jutsu so many times before. This should have been nothing. "Two."

"Don't let them go." Jugo ordered. "Keep them going."

"One." Sai gritted out, clenching his fist as he focused on keeping the little mouse going. Squeezing his eyes tightly, he poured more of his chakra into the little mouse, doing all he could to keep it going. Ignoring Ino's questions and Jugo's orders, he tried to keep the mouse alive. Letting out a deep breath, he slummped against the wall, his heart beating like crazy.

"Sai?" Ino asked.

"It's gone." Sai said. "But I found Choji and Akamaru."

xd-bx

"Karin?" Neji called softly, gently lowering her until she half slumped half sat against the wall. Her breathing was very faint, the scent of blood stronger. "Can you hear me?" he asked her, resting a hand against her cheek, trying to get her to open her eyes. The glow stick was fainter, almost gone. He knew within the next hour, or even less, it would be completely gone. "Karin, open your eyes." he commanded when she refused to answer him. "Karin!"

Putting a hand against her throat, feeling her pulse, he stiffened. It was there, barely. "Karin, please open your eyes." he whispered softly, everything of the last few hours, days, or however long they had been here, escaping. "Karin?" he called, trying to calm his racing heart. "Please open your eyes." Tapping her cheek lightly, he lifted her head to be even with his own. "Just look at me." he begged, uncaring of what anyone would say should they see a Hyuuga begging for anything. "Please, look at me. Say something. Say anything."

Tapping her cheek once more, Neji watched as Karin's eye lids flickered, her mouth moving, but not enough to form whatever word she was trying to say.

"Come on, Karin, you can do this." he ordered. Once more her mouth moved again, a soft puff of air escaping her lips. "Yes, stay with me." he encouraged. "Save your strength and-omph!" he got out as Karin suddenly pushed him to the right of her. Hitting the ground hard, Neji turned startled eyes back to the girl only to gasp as he saw a tentical pierced into her chest. Her body was arched back, a scream escaping her lips. "NO!" Neji screamed moving to run back to her, only to stop as another tentical came from the darkness, taking the glow stick with it when he barely dodged it.

"RUN!" Karin shouted, sounding as if it pained her to speak at all. Not wanting to go, but unable to get closer, Neji turned and left. Looking back only once to see the tentical completely wrapped around Karin, taking her into the darkness.

"I'm sorry." he whispered as he continued on. "I'm so sorry."

xd-bx

Tenten's eyes flickered open, images running together, hurting her eyes. Her body hurt, but it didn't. It didn't feel normal. Didn't feel right. She wasn't sure what happened. Couldn't remember anything beyond seeing...

Naruto.

Blinking again to clear her vision, she tried to ignore the pain in her eyes and see where she was. It took a while to pin-point anything. To see the walls of the cave around her. To see a table where Naruto and Kyuubi continued to scream as his body slowly lost the battle of fighting for his chakra. Just the image of him like this made her try to scream his name, made her try to run to him.

But her body refused to move. Refused to do anything but allow her eyes to see what broke her heart. Tearing her eyes away from Naruto, Tenten looked around the room, trying to find anything that would help them. Instead what she saw was Shino, across the room in a rock like cacoon. His face was the only thing free of the formation, but she saw the rocks slowly inching forward, covering his face to pull him completely into the wall. He was unconcscious, or so she prayed. He didn't move, didn't do anything as the wall pulled him in.

Beside Shino she saw Lee, his eyes were filled with fear as they gazed at her. The only thing she could see of him was from his forehead to the bottom half of his nose. And she knew then that the same thing was happening to her, that the cave was pulling her in.

Following his gaze to the right, she found Karin stuck like them, the rock wall barely starting forming over her body, outlining her instead. Blood leaked down her body, only to be absorbed into the wall, almost as if the rock was pulling it into the cave. Tenten noticed that wherever there was blood, the cave was forming, almost as if it were hungry for it.

This was their fate, Tenten realized as the wall of the cave began to slowly form over her right eye, taking her vision slowly. They were going to die here. They were going to die. Looking around the room once more, she saw more bulges throughout the wall.

It was then that Tenten knew what this was. This cave was a massive gravesite. That the chakra Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke had seen, that Karin had felt, was chakra stolen from former shinobis or the unlucky victims that had fallen within. The walls were taking their chakra. The smell of decay was their bodies.

And her friends were all within here.

Turning her gaze back to Lee, Tenten felt tears falling knowing that this was it for them. That Karin was dead, that Shino was dead. That she and Lee would soon join them. That her friends would end up just like them unless they got away. Even as the wall formed over her, she continued to cry, her single tear leaving a lone streak over the new bulge within the cave as she disappeared.


End file.
